Cricket Wireless’ skyrocketing brand awareness recently was the result of great strategy and the confluence of mutually agreeable circumstances.

First, it was the embodiment of good timing and serendipity that, soon after Cricket Wireless sealed the deal in May to become sponsors of the 2014 BET Awards live “After Show,” the wireless company joined forces with award-winning superstar, actress and TV talk show host Queen Latifah and the “Queen Latifah Show” to help promote the fast-rising brand nationwide.

The collaboration officially commenced during a recent episode “The Queen Latifah Show,” the most popular new daytime talk show this past season, in order to shine the spotlight on Cricket’s attractive offers, products and attributes. Cricket is creating a storm of within the industry because of its simplistic nationwide wireless plans with wireless products that consumers respect and, just as importantly, contains no annual contract.

These company characteristics made it irresistible to Queen Latifah to come on board as brand ambassador.

“I’m personally selective about the brands I associate with, and I couldn’t be more excited about Cricket’s goal to provide a high quality and reliable wireless service at an affordable cost to help friends and loved ones stay connected,” said Queen, aka Dana Owens. “Cricket and the ‘Queen Latifah Show’ share a mission to bring families closer together and give them something to smile about.”

Queen Latifah and Cricket gave two long-lost childhood friends a lot to smile during a recent episode of “Quen Latifah Show. After facilitating the poignant tear-jerker of a reunion between the two friends, Queen gave them free Moto G smartphones and one year of unlimited wireless voice, text and data service.

Afterward, to the surprise and delight of audience members, Queen and Cricket bestowed everyone a free Moto G smartphone with three months of free service to celebrate the launch campaign. Cricket also has plans for customers to interact with Queen Latifah throughout the year, which will be revealed on “The Queen Latifah Show” soon.

Moreover, Cricket and Queen Latifah are kindred spirits of sorts in that both entities had to reinvent themselves to retain industry relevance — and even take their games to the next level.

“Queen Latifah and her enterprise embody what the new Cricket is all about,” said Jeannie Weaver, the executive director of sponsorships and grassroots marketing at Cricket. “Like the new Cricket brand, Queen Latifah has reinvented herself more than once and her special ability to connect with her audience and fans and provide helpful information, counsel and opportunities that enrich people’s lives aligns with Cricket’s efforts to change the way people think and talk about their wireless service provider.

“At Cricket, we are answering the call for more value in no-contract wireless without compromise,” Weaver added.